Leverstock Green were 2-0 up inside seven minutes in Saturday’s game at Biggleswade Town, but they ultimately paid for their defensive frailty and, like last week at Lowestoft, a disappointing second half display saw them end up on the losing side.

The game was barely over a minute old when Leverstock went in front. A cross from Callum Neal was blocked, but Ethan Mooney chased the ball and, just before it crossed the bye-line, clipped over a cross which found Jeffrey Sekyere coming in at the far post to apply the finishing touch.

It got even better for Leverstock in the 7th minute when a well-worked move culminated with Iker Noguera Leon finding Juan Pablo Velasco on the edge of the penalty area to hit a low shot which went in off the post for a 2-0 lead.

However, the home side hit back and were soon back in the game. In the 12th minute they pulled a goal back when Ebenezer Kufour showed persistence inside the box to shake off a couple of challenges before slotting the ball past Harry Way. And in the 17th minute Leverstock were unable to clear a corner, and Lynton Goss forced the ball home from close range in the ensuing scramble.

Having levelled the scores they could have gone in front in the 22nd minute, but shot over the bar from a good chance inside the box. Instead, the game see-sawed back in the direction of Leverstock. They should have been back in front in the 30th minute when a pass from Dan Pett allowed Leon to easily beat the home side’s high line and go clean through on goal, but his eventual shot was slotted inches wide of the post. Leon didn’t have long to mull over his missed chance. Within two minutes Joe McCarthy was brought down on a run into the box, and the referee awarded Leverstock a penalty. Leon stepped up to take the spot kick, and despite the best efforts of the Biggleswade players to unsettle him, buried the penalty to put Leverstock back in front at 3-2.

Leverstock held their lead until half time, and might have extended it in the 50th minute when Sekyere had a run at goal, but his eventual shot was saved. They were forced into a change in the 54th minute after Velasco picked up a needless yellow card for kicking the ball away and was in danger of being provoked into a second yellow by the home side. Marcus Warren, who rejoined the club this week, came on to replace him.

Biggleswade were having most of the ball in the second half, and their pressure told in the 63rd minute when Liam Andrews met a corner unchallenged to level the scores at 3-3. Two minutes later they were in front when a ball across goal found Goss in space to shoot home his second of the game from close range.

Having taken the lead, the home side then did their utmost to slow the game down with constant time-wasting tactics. Warren came closest to getting Leverstock back in the game with a shot in the 68th minute that went just wide. Other than that, the Green side were unable to create much, and when Alfie Powell headed home unchallenged from a corner in the 80th minute to make it 5-3, the game was over. To add to Leverstock’s problems, Warren was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for words to the referee.

Biggleswade Town (2) 5 (Kufour 12, Goss 17, 65, Andrews 63, Powell 80)
1. Luke Mewitt, 2. Barsa Mirtahmasebi, 3. James Dunn (16. Joshua Steele 37 mins), 4.Niall Jones, 5. Alfie Powell, 6. Dan Newton, 8. Basim Mirtahmasebi (7. Pharrell Anderson 85 mins), 9. Lynton Goss, 10. Ebenezer Kufuor, 11. Damani Hunter, 20. Liam Andrews. Subs not used: 13. George Kyle, 14. Joseph Sutton.
Leverstock Green (3) 3 (Sekyere 2, Velasco 7, Leon 32 pen)
1. Harry Way, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Josh Dooley, 5. Kalan Lisbie, 6. Ethan Mooney (12. Oliver Glimas 65 mins), 7. Joe Mccarthy, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Juan Pablo Velasco (16. Marcus Warren 54 mins), 11. Iker Noguera Leon (19. Joel Onu 74 mins). Subs not used: 14. John Gyabaah, 15. Aldo Petagine.